In a win for the global movement calling for an end to vaccine monopolies, the US finally agreed to back a waiver for intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines in May.
Over 100 countries, including India – which is seeing a disastrous outbreak of the virus – have been campaigning for this at the World Trade Organization since October 2020, as it removes a major stumbling block to global, equitable access to vaccines. However, the idea had previously been blocked by the likes of the EU, UK and US under Donald Trump.
